Wringer release and reset mechanism



N. 1.. ETTEN 2,308,445 WRINGER RELEASE AND RESEiI MECHANISM Jan. 12, 19 43.

FiledNov. .27, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 a m I N.' L.- ETT'EN WRINGER RELEASE AND RESET MECHANISM Filed Nov. 27, 1959 3 sheets-sho 2 Jan. 12, 1943. N. b; ETTEN. 2,308,445

' WRINGER RELEASE AND RESET MECHANISM.

FilecfNov. 27, 1939 a Sheets-Sheet. a

v f; 1 l g A J a L 1 E 1 I Patented Jan. 12, 1943 I pairs stars AT NT sic WRINGER RELEASE RESET MECHANISM 1 Claim.

This invention relates to clothes wringers of the type used on domestic washing machines and has particular reference to the type of wringer in which the upper roll iscarried on a top frame hinged laterally to the lower frame.

This type of wringer has a distinct advantage over the free top frame type because the frames are held together in positive relationship by the hinges although permitting wide separation of the rolls. Heretofore hinged top frame wringers have had serious faults, chiefly because the safety release usually functioned from the side opposite the hinges and usually releasing only in one direction, thus making the release different for the operator, depending on which side of the wringer she was standing.

It is the particular object of this invention to provide a laterally hinged top frame wringer structure in which the safety release bar is located centrally of the wringer and operates laterally in either direction from both sides.

Other objects and benefits will be disclosed in the following descriptions and drawings in which:

Fig. l is a cross-sectional side elevation view showing the interior parts of my wringer;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation view of my wringer as it would appear on the section lines 2--2 of Fig. 1 and with the wringer rolls locked in cooperating pressure relationship; and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation view similar to Fig. 2 except that the safety bar has been tripped and the rolls have been released from spring pressure.

Now referring to the drawings, I designate the lower frame of the wringer by the numeral II], this lower frame having a top frame I l hinged to it by dual hinges l2 and 13, one hinge, number I3, not showing because it is in alignment with the hinge 12 on the other side of the wringer, as will be well understood. Attached to the frame Ill of the wringer are conventional drain boards l4 and I5. This drain board structure is not pertinent to the present invention and will not be described in further detail, it being assumed that the wringer is equipped with conventional drain boards.

Mounted in the lower frame I!) is a lower wringer roll Hi. It will be noted that this roll is not in this structure the drive roll and that it is resiliently supported practically independent of the driving mechanism. The trunnions of the roll 16 seat in conventional bearings I8 which are supported on a cross U-bar l9 resiliently supported by springs 2| and bolts 22 on shelf brackets 20, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be appreciated that the nuts of the bolts 22 are held in the channel l9 and pressure adjustment is con veniently provided by merely turning the heads of the bolts 22 when the top fram H is hinged backward to give easy access to the bolts.

The upper roll H is mounted on its inner end by conventional bearing 23 and the roll is supported in the upper frame I l by the retainer clips 24 and the bolts 25. The outer trunnion of the roll I! is supported in the bearing having a somewhat dilferent structure but which is similar to the bearing support on the inner end in that a metallic bearing 23' with a similar support clip 24' supports the outer trunnion of the roll on a cross rib structure 34. This structure is made necessary in order to support the cam shaft 3|, as will later be described.

A spur gear 26 is mounted on the inner end of the roll shaft IT. This spur gear is driven by a mating gear 21 driven by the horizontal shaft 28 through the conventional wringer gear head 29 controlled by the handle 3!]. The structure and operation of the wringer gear head are Well understood and the same, not being pertinent to the present invention, will not be described in further detail.

It will be appreciated that the drive spur gear 21 is always held in the same relationship in the lower frame in. The spur gear 26, mounted on the upper roll I1, is held in fixed relationship to the upper frame H as has been heretofore described. Now the upper frame H, being hinged. to the lower frame I0, is held in positive relationship to the lower frame II) when they are locked together, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. It will, therefore, be appreciated that by this structure I have provided effective means to drive the upper roll of the wringer while at the same time providing an effective roll stop when the upper frame is hinged backward, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. I arrange to prevent the upper frame II from being thrown too far backward by means of a stop ledge IE on the hinge [2, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be appreciated that this stop ledge 12' will permit the rolls to be widely separated beyond any possible danger to the operator although the upper frame is held onto the lower frame by the hinge structure as described.

Now referring to Fig. 1, I show a locking cam shaft 3| mounted in cross ribs 34 in the upper frame I I. The outer end of the shaft 3| is merely passed through an opening or bore in the cross ribs 34, while the inner end of the shaft is supported in a slot by means of the clip 36 and the bolts 31, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Now referring to Figs. 2 and 3, attention is directed to the formation of the earns 32 in the locking cam shaft 3|. Dual cam surfaces are provided by milling cross slots which provide a rather sharp pointed cam design to lock the top frame on the short end, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. It will be appreciated that when the release handle 33, which is attached to the shaft 3| through slots 35 in the top frame I |,is released by pushing laterally toward the hinges as shown in Fig. 3, the upper frame is released by rotative action of the shaft 3|, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. it being appreciated that the springs 2| are urging the upper frame upward as will be readily appreciated by consideration of the positions of the cross bar IS in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. It will further be appreciated that when the release lever 33 is pushed or pulled laterally away from the hinges l2 and I3, that the other surface of the cam will permit the top frame to hinge upward in a similar manner. From the above description it will be understood that I have provided a release operable in either direction from both sides of the wringer.

The locking mechanism co-acting with the cams 32 consists of hinged lock bars 39 pivotally attached to the lower frame by the shoulder screws 38. The lock bars 39 have hooked cam surfaces 40 which co-act with the cams 32, as will be readily understood. Resiliently hinged to the bars 39 are guide bars 4| by means of the shoulder screws 42 and the torsion spring 43 attached to the bars 39 by the screws 44.

The purpose of this structure will be readily appreciated by visualizing the co-action of the cam surfaces 40, the cams 32, and the guide bars 4| as the upper frame is tilted backward. It will be appreciated that the resilient mounting of the guide bars 4| continuously holds the locking parts in co-acting relationship so that when the upper frame is hinged downward on the lower frame, the various parts are in proper relationship to lock the frames together in coacting roll pressure position. This condition is well illustrated in Fig. 3, and it is believed that with the above explanation, the function of the parts will be well understood.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

In a clothes wringer, a lower frame, a lower roll, spring means urging said roll upward in the frame, a top frame hinged to the lower frame, a top roll including a through shaft journaled in said top frame, and pressure applying and release mechanism for urging the frames together in pressure sustaining position or for releasing said frames, said mechanism including a manually operable double release cam bar, said cam bar being journaled centrally in the upper frame and operable in either transverse direction, hook bars pivotally mounted in the lower frame, and resilient retainer mechanism on said hook bars to facilitate coaction between the hook and cam bars.

NICHOLAS L. ETTEN. 

